Travelling when introverted can be overwhelming as cities are often noisy and busy. Believing that everybody should be able to enjoy the benefits of exploring new places, UK Therapy Rooms conducted an index study to find out which are the best European destinations for introverts.

The factors considered for the index included the number of tourists and the number of Instagram posts per location (the higher the number, the less introvert–friendly). Furthermore, the index included activities deemed introverted friendly such as the total number of attractions per location, sights, landmarks, museums, nature, parks, spas, and wellness. 

The final index score shows the best locations in Europe for introverts. The full data can be found here.

Key findings

• Porto Santo Island is the best European destination for introverts.
• Porto Santo Island sees only 40,000 tourists yearly, the lowest in the top 10.
• The Hague is the introvert–friendly destination with the highest number of attractions.

Porto Santo Island has been crowned the best European destination for introverts, scoring 70.19. This Portuguese Island hosts around 40,000 tourists yearly, making it the least populated location of the top 10 study – perfect for those who prefer a more solitary trip. Although there aren’t many visitors compared with other places, there are plenty of things to do, with 88 attractions, 35 sights and landmarks, and 23 parks and nature to explore. 

Tip: If you find yourself on Porto Santo Island, you can spend the day relaxing on the sandy beach or enjoy the view from the highest point west of the island at Pico de Ana Ferreira. 

The second-best European destination for introverts is the Spanish city, León, with a score of 64.27. As tourists often favour bigger cities like Barcelona, León is more of a hidden gem, with only 75,787 tourists visiting it yearly. However, with 16 museums, 51 sights and landmarks, and 152 attractions, there are plenty of things to do when visiting. 

Tip: If you enjoy the beautiful architecture and/or are spiritual, the Santa Maria de Leon Cathedral is a masterpiece built in the Gothic style with French influences declared of Cultural Interest in 1844. 

Ohrid comes in third place with a score of 58.15. This North Macedonian city hosts approximately 200,000 tourists yearly, and it’s a great place to immerse yourself in a history lesson or relax by the lake. There are 10 museums to choose from, as well as 123 attractions in total. 

Tip: If you’re a fan of wine, Ohrid is the home of the Monastery Winery, located in the beautiful landscapes under the St.Cosmas and Damian monastery, only 10 km from Ohrid. They don’t only offer wine tasting and charcuterie boards but painting lessons and hiking tours as well.

The fourth best city for introverts is the Norwegian city Tromsø, scoring 56. The world’s northernmost university town, Tromsø has both a vibrant and a cosy vibe. There are 223 attractions, including 18 sights and landmarks, 21 museums, 18 parks and five spas. The city is also incredibly picturesque, with over 1.6 million hashtags on Instagram. 

Tip: If you are ok with small groups of a maximum of eight people, you might enjoy an Arctic road trip with a scenic picnic on the mountainous island of Kvaløya (Tromsø). There are also many options to see the Northern Lights, from walking to cruise tours. 

The Hague is the fifth-best city for introverts, scoring 52.27. Although this Dutch city hosts a whopping 20,000,000 tourists yearly, there are plenty of activities to do there that are introvert–friendly, from 136 sights and landmarks to 40 museums, 39 parks, and 64 spas. 

Tip: Plenty of self-guided tours will allow you to explore the city at your own pace. Furthermore, if you are an art fan, the Mauritshuis Royal Picture Gallery offers a beautiful collection of paintings, such as Johannes Vermeer’s most famous one, Girl with a Pearl Earring.